Question I will investigate:
What leads to some people being willing to die or commit atrocities for their religion?
Religions that will be analyzed:
Christianity (Originated from Europe, follows one god)
Muslim (Originated from Middle East, follows multiple gods)
Analysis:
"Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah: And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the Shuhada's [martyrs'] glory is in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve." —Qur'an, Sura 3 (Al-i-Imran), Ayat 169 – 170
One theory is that religion itself is the problem, and is the primary motive for violent acts and treason. If someone can convince you to be a part of a religion, they can also convince you to do horrible things, and to follow their own agenda as you follow god's. There are even some people who are willing to die, or sacrifice their first born child for their faith. An example is from a quote in the Quo'ran, where it promises honor and hapiness to its martyrs, but the passage leaves the definition of "martyr" open to interpretation. A more recent example of is the 9/11 attacks, when Al Quaeda destroyed the world trade center, killing over 3,000, just because America built on Muslim land. They justified this with their religious beliefs, saying that everyone who died went to heaven because they were martyrs.
“The take-home message is that we should blame religion itself, not religious extremism - as
though that were some kind of terrible perversion of real, decent religion. Voltaire got it right long ago: 'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' So did Bertrand Russell: 'Many people would sooner die than think. In fact they do.”― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
It is easy to follow the orders of others, and humans will default to do that unless they resist. Humans don't always know when to resist, though. They have faith that their beliefs will bring them gain in the future, and will stick to it until it is too late to go back. It is especially dangerous when two teams of extremists are pitted against each other, because they might think they're harming each other when they're actually harming innocent civilians.
"[Slavery] was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation...it has existed in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization, and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts." Jefferson Davis, President, Confederate States of America
Most Americans don't associate the christian religion with slavery. Here, however, the president of the Confederate States uses the christian bible to justify keeping blacks as slaves. In this situation, innocent men, women, and children are used as tools for others' agendas, similar to how other networks justify their actions. If Christians feel like they have truly done something bad, they can pray to god for forgiveness.
"In our religion, there is a special place in the hereafter for those who participate in jihad." — Osama bin Laden
A major motive behind the 9/11 attacks was that those who died as a part of Al Quaeda's message to the west against their policies would be granted access to the Muslim heaven. Their agenda was justified all because their victims were given 'eternal happiness' for being a part of their god's plan.
Bonus quote:
"You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!" "Perhaps the same could be said of all religions..." — Dracula, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Final Thoughts:
Based on the content in the above quotes, it's likely that the majority of religious people commit(ed) atrocities because of the influences of their religious literature. In the Christian bible, slavery of blacks was sanctioned according to the leader of the U.S. Confederacy. He claimed that it excused the torture and mistreatment of the blacks, and that while it would usually be wrong, this was a special case. In the Quo'ran, murdering the innocent is sanctioned because all killed would be let into heaven. This was the driving force behind Al Quaeda's attacks on the world trade center according to their leader. These events have brought endless suffering to their victims, and it brings up the question, would life be better without religion?
What leads to some people being willing to die or commit atrocities for their religion?
Religions that will be analyzed:
Christianity (Originated from Europe, follows one god)
Muslim (Originated from Middle East, follows multiple gods)
Analysis:
“The take-home message is that we should blame religion itself, not religious extremism - as
though that were some kind of terrible perversion of real, decent religion. Voltaire got it right long ago: 'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' So did Bertrand Russell: 'Many people would sooner die than think. In fact they do.”― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion— Osama bin Laden
Bonus quote:
Final Thoughts:
Based on the content in the above quotes, it's likely that the majority of religious people commit(ed) atrocities because of the influences of their religious literature. In the Christian bible, slavery of blacks was sanctioned according to the leader of the U.S. Confederacy. He claimed that it excused the torture and mistreatment of the blacks, and that while it would usually be wrong, this was a special case. In the Quo'ran, murdering the innocent is sanctioned because all killed would be let into heaven. This was the driving force behind Al Quaeda's attacks on the world trade center according to their leader. These events have brought endless suffering to their victims, and it brings up the question, would life be better without religion?
Sources:
Images
Christianity
Muslim